E 475 
.85 
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Copy 1 



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April 3rJ>, 1912 

JOSEPH W. WILSHIRE 
Captain 45th O.V. I. 



V 






Pap^r 



(if OIItc 
A;inl 3xh. 1312 



JOSEPH W. WILSHIRE 
Captain 45th O. V. I. 






Gill 

HAY 13 \9\k 



A REIMIXISCENCE OF BURNSIDE'S 
KNOXVILLE CAMPAIGN. 

On a bright beautiful morning", early in the month of Septem- 
I^er, 1863, a party of horsemen in military array, were gathered in 
front of a large, plain brick building, known at that time as the 
University of East Tennessee and located on the crest of one of 
the numerous hills, which characterized the topography of the 
surrounding" country. In front of them, and beyond an inter- 
vening ravine, through which a sn"iall stream, known as Second 
Creek, found its way to the Holston River, stood the picturesque 
little city of Knoxville. Not unlike that ancient Metropolis of 
the Roman Bjnpire, Knoxville was founded upon a hill and only 
awaited the growth and development of years, to become the mis- 
tress of the seven hills by which she was surrounded. 

The party referred to consisted of General Samuel P. Carter, 
con"imanding the Cavalry Division of the 2;ird Army Corps, to- 
gether with his stafif, of which the writer was then a member. 
Our Division constituted the advance of Burnside's Army of the 
C)hio, in the Knoxville campaign. And now after a tiresome, 
rough and arduous march of 250 miles, through a country, 
whose so-called roadways were impassable to anything on wheels, 
practically cut off from our base of supplies and subsisting en- 
tirely upon the nieagre forage which that mountainous and un- 
productive country afforded, without baggage, save that upon our 
backs, or strapped to the saddles of our horses, the Mecca of our 
Crusade at last lay invitingly before us It was indeed a charm- 
ing and suggestive scene that confronted us. Visions of the 
much needed rest in con"ifortable quarters, throughout the ap- 
proaching winter, together with the anticipated enjoyment of the 
many gf)od things of life, ran riot in our imaginations. 

3 



The six months just passc<l had been a very active period 
for most of our Division, tonsistinj^ of Mounted Infantry and 
Cavalry. Ever since March 1st they had been, as it were, on the 
jump throu,L;hi)Ut the States of Kentucky, 'rennesse:'. ( )hio and 
Indiana, first after re^ram, Scott, Marshall, I'erc^uson, DuUe 
and other Rebel raiders and Guerilla iJands. and then in June 
with Col. Saimders on a raid towards Knoxville. along- tlu' Hast 
Tenn. & Georgia R. R., burninc;: bridi^es, tearing up railroad track 
and otherwise interruptin.^ llra^^g's line of communications with 
his base, and later in th.^ summer chasing after Morgan through 
Indiana and ( )lii(i. ( )f this lattr chase.. Col. Theodore b". Alkn. 
Uh ( )hi(^ Cavalry, has interestingly written in his verv clever 
paper, entitled "Fiftet-n Hundred Miles of Fried Chicken." 

Waiting only b^ng ennu Ji to reorganize the three brigades 
which composed the 4th or L'avalr\ Division of the 'Jird .\rm\ 
Cfjrps, we had left Somerset, Ky., .\ug. ?nth, lS(;:i, for Knoxvill •. 
taking for our route that which in later years became the line of 
the Cincinnati Soutlurn 1\. K. to a point on that road now known 
as Ilarriman junction. bVom this point on .Sunday, .Sejn. Ut, 
we reached the Tennessee River at Kingston. 

Shackelford's I'.rigade, a few days previous, had been de- 
tached from the main column and sent from Montgomery east- 
ward with instructions to reconnoiter between Knoxville and 
Cumberland Gap as to the position of DeCourcey, who previous. y 
ha<l licen sent by llurnside with a llrigade of lb.- I'tb ("orp from 
r.owling Green. Ky., to invest Cumberland Gap. .\nother I'.ri- 
gade ( I'yrd's Mo'.mte! Infantry) was now sent from Kingston to- 
wards I.oudon. farther n|) on the Tenness c River, at which 
point a long pier bridge of the b". 1". X: (',. Railway spanned the 



River. A force of rebels who were guardinj^ this bridge burned 
it when Byrd's Brigade approached, and, after skirmishing with 
his mounted infantry, they crossed the river and retreated to- 
v/ards Athens. 

On Monday, Sept. 2nd, with the remaining Brigade of our 
Division, commanded by Col. Carter, a brother of our General, 
we moved out from Kingston towards Knoxville, and that night 
from our camp we saw the lihts of the city. Now on the following 
morning, Tuesday, Sept. ;3rd, we of the Division Staff were gath- 
ered around our chief, intently gazing at the life and activity that 
lay in front of us, and wondering whether or not we should have 
to fight for the city of our promised land now so close at hand. 

Carter's Brigade was below us in the valley, and a portion 
of this Brigade had evidently crossed the creek in approach to 
the city. Now and then we could catch a glimpse of troopers 
as they rode past at the intersections of streets in Knoxville. 
There had been no firing and apparently not the slightest opposi- 
tion to the occupation of the town by our troops, yet Gen. Carter 
seemed anxious and ill at ease. A courier had been despatched, 
with a written order to Byrd at Louden, ordering him up to within 
supporting distance. 

While wondering at the cause of Gen. Carter's uneasiness, 
I was called to the General's side, and received a verbal order to 
transmit to Col. Carter. Riding down the hill towards the bridge 
that spanned Second Creek and on which Col. Carter was stand- 
ing, I transmitted the order for an immediate advance of Carter's 
Brigade into the town "Mounted and in column of fours." Col. 
Carter had dismounted the 1st Tenn. Infantry on the west side of 
the Creek, and deployed skirmishers on the opposite side towards 



Knoxvillc. The line of skirmishers, was working forward at the 
foot of the liill, above and beyond which, kiy Knoxville. and this 
movement was apixirently creatine: considerable stir and cxcitc- 
iiK'ut within the town. In the nuantinK-, the scouts whom Col. 
Carter had sent out early that morniny^, had entered the city, and 
these were the troopers we had seen in the streets as we stood on 
the campus of the colle,i;e. However. luatters were quickly ad- 
justed, and the liris^ade was soon in full possession of Knoxville. 
When I rejoined den. Cart-T on College Hill. I learned that Gen. 
I'.urnside was on his way from Kim^ston. and tliat he had sent 
word to Gen. Carter that he would join him and tliat they to- 
gether would enter Knoxville. 

While we were waiting for (ien. Ilurn^ide. Co], W. |\ 
Saunders, the bearer of Gen. Uurnside's messa'^c. stood on tlie 
north side of the L^niversitv iUiilding in conversation with another 
luember of I'urnside's StafT. who proved to be Cajit. (afterwards 
( leiieral ) ( ). M. Toe. of the l'!n'2:ineer Corps. I^aunders was then 
Colonel of the "ith Kentuck\ Cavalry and serving on I'.nrnside's 
Staff, a splendid fellow, and very popular in oar Division, where 
he had previously served with credit. Tn introducing Poe, I re- 
member hearing Saunders remark that they were classiuates at 
West Point. These gentlemen were discussing the possible op- 
portunities for defensive works in case of an attack on Knoxvill?. 
On a neighboring hill, a little to the southwest, could be seen an 
earthwork of some kiml which had eviilentl\ been erected b\ the 
rebels before their recent ileparture. and it was suggesteil that 
Poe and .Saunders should ride tt)q;eth r to look at this work, while 
awaiting the arrival of Geii. IJurnside. So olT th jy rode, splendid 
sjiecimens f>f |)hysical manlmod .-md with that perfect grace and 
ease of horsem.'inshi]). which characterizes a \\ e^t Point gr.iduate. 



This hill hiter on became the location of the nio.st pron.iinent work 
in the defenses around Knoxvi'ile and was named in honor of 
this same Col. Saunders, who was killed in its defense, Nov. 18, 
1863. I'oe and Saunders did not return directly to us, for from 
their position they had discovered Burnside and his StaiT ai> 
proachmg" on the Kingston road, and they rode to meet them. 

Burnside with his brilliant Cavalcade soon joined us, and then 
we began our advance upon the city. 

At the bridg'e which crossed Second Creek, we were met by 
a large number of citizens who gave up a loyal welcome. The 
negroes were wild with joy which they manifested by singing 
hymns, shouting and indulging in antics so peculiar and character- 
i'^tic of their race. Gen. Carter and his brother. Col. Carter, were 
native-born Tennvsseans, and whil? they had many friends and 
asquaintances who were enthisiastic in their greetings to these two 
officers, yet it soon became evident that Gen. Burnside was the 
hero of the occasion, at least as far as the mass of the people was 
concerned. Entering the main street of Knoxville, Burnside and 
Carter rode side by side. This street was filled with people, and 
every window in the houses on either side was filled with faces 
on most of which beamed happy smiles and expressions of cordial 
welcome. When the feeling of awe and uncertainty with which 
the dignified and impressive presence of Gen. Burnside seemingly 
influenced the populace at first sight, was dispelled by that bright 
smile and cordial greeting which ever made Gen. Burnside so 
gracious and easy of approach, then it was that the people be- 
came most demonstrative, shouting and crowding up and around 
the General to take his hand and with tears in their eyes, hailing 
him as the deliverer of East Tennessee. Men and women, black 



and white vied with each other to gain the General's hand, 
l-'inally. in front df an old h6tel, or tavern, the thronging mnlti- 
tude compelled us to come to a halt. A brass band at the head 
of a delectation, or committee of some sort, "was trying to make 
its wav (low II an intersecting street, but the band could make 
neitlur progress nor nnisic, although it was struggling hard to 
do I.oth. 

As the panting musicians paused for breath, a manly, bright, 
animated looking man forced his way to the foreground, and, 
])ausing before the general, announced himself as the assistant 
editor of the Knoxville Whig, a partner and co-worker with 
Parson P)rownlow. In a few w^ell chosen words this gentleman, 
whose name I cannot now recall, welcomed the Union Troops into 
Knoxville. I remember that he seemed to be greatly surprised at 
the number of people who had turned out to receive the troops. 
He could not understand where the\- all came from, for when the 
rebels were in possession of Knoxville. not only the streets, but 
even the houses themselves seemed to be deserted, and the town 
was to all intent:^ and purposes dead and depopulated. As for 
the ne.^rr)es. Genera! Iluckner. the l\el)el Gommander. had re- 
jMjrted to the War Department at Richmond, that his engineers, 
had been compelled to abandon the work on the intrenchments 
and other defenses of Knoxville by reason of the absence of negro 
labor, which the most diligent search failed to tind in all lui^t 
Tennessee. "And now. .^uh, for (iaud's sake just look at 'em." 
>aid our friend the |ourn;ili>t, p lintiiig to the hundreds of laugh- 
ing, happy, black face> that showed up in every direction. 

8 



While we were still waiting in Main Street, Capt. Franklin, 
of Gen. Carter's Staff, returned from his search for quarters and 
reported that he had secured a fine large residence, completely 
furnished, but recently vacated by the family and at present in 
ch.arge of the servants. 

Gen. Carter seemed to have personal knowledge of the resi- 
dence and explained to Gen. Burnside the advantages it possessed 
for headquarters, and at the latter's suggestion, it was arranged 
that both Generals, each with his personal staff, should occupy this 
mansion and grounds. Most of the party had dismounted in the 
meantime. Some were chatting with the citizens and mingling 
with the crowd, while others had w-andered off and were being 
entertained with meat and drink in the surrounding houses. 

It was now late in the afternoon, and the red September sun 
was just sinking behind the University Building, in front of which 
we had stood that morning. Suddenly the mellow notes of a bugle 
sounded the call to mount. As the last echo of the bugle notes 
died away a solemn stillness settled over all the multitude, broken 
by a single voice which rang out strong and clear upon the even- 
ing air,, yet with such wonderful melody and pathos that all were 
impelled to listen. On the roof of a little one-story frame build- 
ing, clinging to the projecting eaves of the adjoining house for 
support, and overlooking the surging crowd in the street below, 
stood a young negro woman. Small of stature, black of face, 
homely in figure and in lineament was this girl. Yet never be- 
fore and never since have I heard a voice that could thrill me with 
such mysterious power as hers, as it floated softly but with com- 
n.lling power upon the evening air. The words she sang I can- 



not recall, but the refrain that was chanted in swellings chorus by 
the concourse of neg^ro nien and women in the street below her, 
ring^s in niv ears tonight, after a silence of half a century: 



'"What )OU do wIkii de Redeenicr comes heah on de earth? 

Is you ready fob de questions what He axes you siio? 
Has you 'creased dem Talents what he gib you at your birth 

Stead ()' buryin' "em in de groun under de old cabin flo?" 



The last stanza had been sung, and the weird, plaintive cadence of 
the refrain was dying away when a grizzly-headed old negro 
stepped out from among the singers and in a deep powerful 
voice called out. "Our Redeemer is heah at last, Marse Burnside is 
our blessed Redeemer. Washed in de blood ob de Union. 1 'raise 
ye de I.ord." Burnside, mounted on his horse some little distance 
from where the old darky stood, had turned in his saddle as the 
old man began to speak, but these words were too much for him. 
Hastily glancing at Gen. Carter and then at others of the staff 
around him. he started his hor>c sharply forward, and we all fol- 
lowed in the direction of our new quarters. The Crozier man- 
sion we found to be most inviting to tired, hungry men, and that 
night after a good supper, eaten while sitting at a table with a 
white cloth, witii china (li>hes, knives and forks, something that 
we had not enjoyed for many a day, we sat on the front porch or 
strolled around the grounds, smoking and congratulating our- 
selves on the comfortable quarters and the easy restful time in 
store for us during the coming winter. (len. Burnside and his 
staff occupied the lirst lloor of the house, while (len. Larler with 
his staff c)ccupie(l the second tloor. It was late when my bunker 

10 



(Lieut. Rhodes, of lOord Ohio, who was also an aid on Gen. 
Carter's staff) and myself had finally turned in, as we fondly 
imajxined for a ^ood night's rest. I had, as it seemed to me, just 
fallen asleep, when I was awakened by Parks, Gen Carter's ser- 
vant, who said the General wanted either me or Rhodes to come 
into his room at once. I think Rhodes must have heard the mes- 
sage first, for when I had aroused myself sufficiently to take in 
the situation. Rhodes was to all intents and purposes dead and 
snoring "to beat the band." So I hustled into the General's room, 
and soon learned that a courier had arrived from Shackelford 
near Cumberland Gap, with a message reporting the Gap to be 
still in possession of the rebels under Gen. Frazier, with DeCour- 
cty in camp to the north. DeCourcey's force was not of sufifi- 
cieiit strength to take Cumberland Gap by assault. I was in- 
structed by Gen. Carter to ride at once with a message to Col. 
Byrd, who was reported to be in the vicinity of Cambell's Station. 
The purport of this message (being in part verbal) was to have 
Byrd's Brigade move at once towards Cumberland Gap, and to re- 
port to Gen. Shackelford at the earliest possible moment. 

It was about three A. M. as I cut across the lawn, through 
the sharp frosty air, towards an open field adjoining the Crozier 
Mansion, where the Headquarters Escort and Orderlies were 
in camp. I found Captain Pike of the Escort, in an ambulance, 
sound asleep, but soon had his promise to have two men from 
his Troop report at the iiouse, ready to accompany me at once. 
Returning to the house, I found my horse saddled and ready to 
mount, and still more to the point. Parks, that good old soul, the 
General's servant, awaiting me on the front porch, with a big tin 

11 



cup filled with hot coflFee and a liberal chunk of corn pone. 
Dear, kind, faithful old Parks, how the remembrance of that 
kindly black face, the quiet, soft voice and j^^entle manner comes 
back to me, through the lapse of these many years! It is truly 
a grateful memory of many good thoughtful acts, such as miglit 
be shown to a young and careless boy, by one much older and 
with a fatherly interest in his welfare and comfort. Spiritual, 
as well as lx)dily, was this fatherly interest, for Parks, like his 
master, Gen Carter, was a most devout and sincere Christian, 
who hid not his light under a bushel, but let it shine forth at al! 
times, both through spirit and song. 

As for the General, his Master, it was invariably "Grace he- 
fore Meat" with him. Whether in quarters, on the march or in the 
field, we of the Staff never sat down at mess, or even partook of 
a hasty snack, while ou the uKive. with the General present, that 
we did not await the uncovered and bowed head of our Chief fol- 
lowed by an earnest supplication for grace. 

A graduate of the Xaval Academy of Aimapolis. ( ien. Carter 
at the beginning of the war of the rebellion was serving as a 
Lieutenant in the V. S. Navy. East Tennessean by birth, de- 
sci-iided from that little band of Huguenots, who many years ago 
settled near the border of East Tennessee and North Carolina, 
Lieut. Carter, true to the S])irit and I*"aith of his people, obtained 
from the Xavy ne])artm(.nt permission to offer his services in be- 
half of the loyal element of his Xative State. Carter then raised 
and organized two regiments of Infantry and one regiment of 
Cavalry in I'la'^t Tennessee, and later was male a Brigadier 

12 



General of Volunteers. Gen. Carter was indeed a fine character, 
a courteous. Christian gentleman, courageous and fearless at all 
times, a strict disciplinarian, yet just and dispassionate even to 
evil doers, and to the unfortunate or those in distress, as tender 
and sympathetic as a woman. It was with keen regret, that a 
few days later, I said Good-bye to my General and kind friend, 
in order to join my regiment, never to see him again. 

But to take up the thread of my story, after a sharp ride of 
several hours I found Col. iixrd with his I'rigade not at Campbell's 
station, but at Lenoirs on the Railroad near the Holston River. 
As I rode into his camp, I heard firing ofif towards Loudon, and 
the 4r)th Mounted Infantry .was just moving out at a trot in the 
direction of the firing. Learning that Byrd was quartered in an 
old farmhouse near at hand, I caught him just as he was going 
to the front, delivering my message from Gen. Carter as I tode 
with Col. Byrd down the Loudon road. Very early that morn- 
ing Byrd's pickets had been fired on, and after a brisk skirmish 
they were now being driven in, and the 45th was ordered out for 
further developments. At the outset of this attack, a battalion 
of Wol ford's 1st Kentucky Cavalry was sent out to support the 
p'ckcts. It was this detachment that were now being driven back. 

Col. I'jyrd had been instructed previously to hold the line of the 
Holston River below Knoxville, and it had been thought that he 
would have little or no trouble in this, as Buckner's troops were 
wcH on their way to join Bragg on their retreat from Knoxville. 
But as it afterwards developed, Maj. Gen. Sam Jones, with about 
eight thcusand rebel Cavalry Infantr}-, had entered the upperi 

13 



Tennessee Valley from Virginia and a portion of this force had 
worked its way down the valley through Sevierville, the ohject 
being to harass our right and interrupt any attempt to form 
junction with Rosecrans. and at the same time divert attention 
from Cumberland Gaf). and thus permit of Gen. Frazier either 
being reinforced, or at least extricated from the position he was 
now in, being practically shut up in the Gap. So the question that 
now confronted Col. liyrd was whether under this unexpected 
turn of affairs, which in all probability was unknown at Head- 
quarters in Knoxville, he should be expected to strictly obey this 
recent order. In the meantime the }r)th Ohio had dismounted, 
and their skirmish line was already scattering away in a fringe of 
bushes that bordered a little stream that ran across Kingston 
road, .\fter some discussion in which several of llyrd's officers 
took part, it was very wisely agreed that Col. iJyrd should hold 
hi.s present position if he could until I had returned to Knoxville 
and explained the situation to Gen. Carter. 

In order to facilitate communication with l'>yrd's command, 
a detail from the 11 ^th Ills. Mounted Infantry, consisting of eight 
men, was ordered to report to me. and I rode on my return to 
Knoxville. This detail was stationed at intervals of about five 
miles apart as a courier line and instructed accordingly. 

It was early in the morning of the next day when I rode up 
to hcad(|uarters, tired, hungry, and sore of body. My horse had 
stumbled and falLn, in descending a hill, and 1 had gone over his 
hoatl. and in conse(|uence was considerably shaken up and not a 
little bruised. 1 made my report to Gen. Carter, who took me at 
once to see Gen. liurnside. The latter did n(»t seem micli sur- 

W 



prised at the news I brought, as he had a few hours previously 
received word from Shackelford of Sam Jones' arrival in the up- 
per Tennessee Valley^ and he had already given orders for White's 
Division of "^Ijrd Corps to proceed by forced march to Cumber- 
land Gap. This movement was carried out promptly, Gen. Burn- 
side himself leaving for Cumberland Gap the next day, where 
three days later Gen Frazier surrendered the Gap and 2500 men 
with a large amount of stores and ammunition to him. 

When after a bite to eat and a few hours sleep, I appeared 
on the front porch of the Crozier Mansion later in the day, I 
found that three messages had been received from Col. Byrd by 
Gen. Carter over the courier line. The sum and substance of these 
was that the fight of which I had seen the opening the day pre- 
vious had not been very much of an affair, that the rebels 
had been driven back across the Holston River, and that Byrd's 
coinmand was now encamped at Lenoir's Station with the River 
Fords well guarded, and where he was instructed to remain 
pending further orders. 

Before leaving for Cumberland Gap, Burnside appointed 
Gen. Carter, Provost Marshal General of East Tennessee, with 
headquarters for this department established in a large and com- 
paratively new building, erected and formerly occupied on the 
ground floor by the Bank of Tennessee, the upper floors being 
intended for offices and Masonic Lodge Hall. This building 
stood on Main street, and at that time was regarded as very 
modern and quite imposing in appearance. Gen. Carter, on 
entering upon his new duties, announced that he wished to re- 

15 



tain his personal staff to aid in the work of this new Department. 
Col. Saunders, who had re(,'entl\ been i)ronioted to Brij^adier 
General, was now assigned to command of Carter's Cavalry 
Division, and was preparing to take the field at the head of this 
Command, (ieji. Shackelford was temporarily in command of 
the 2:5rd Corps, and the two Divisions of the !Uh Corps, under 
Gen. I'arkes. were en route to Knoxville from \ iokshurg. 
Shackelford's llrigade was to report to Gen. Saunders from the 
Watauga \ alley, where they had been ordered, after the sur- 
render of Cumberland Gap. serving as part of the F^orcc with 
Gen. lUirnside. The rebels under Sam Jones, who had been a 
source of much trouble and damage in that vicinity. Iiad tina'ly 
been driven across the llolston Mountains into X'irginia, l)y l!iu"n- 
side. Carter's and P.yrd's r)rigades were now in Camp at Camp- 
bell's Station, about six miles south from Knoxville. soon to be 
joined by Shackelford and bond's iJri^ades recently assigned. 
These four j'.rigadcs of Mounted Infantry and Cavalry were to 
form the I'ourth, or Cavalry, I3ivi;Mon of the "ilrd Corps under 
rien. W. ['. Saunders. 

A ])ontoon bridge hat! been tlir(nvn across the flolston at 
the mouth of hirst Creek, in Knoxville. and it was now generally 
understood around beadcjuru ters, that ( ien. Saund.'rs was to 
move across the river with his division for the purpose of opening 
the wav for ri junction with Rosecrans at Chattanooga. 

While at I.uioir's with a message to Col. r>\rd, 1 bad met 
the .\<ljutant of my regiment, and diring a brief and hurried 
interview, I had leariieil that the regiment \\a■^ at that time short 



of officers, and those who were present for duty were doing 
extra hard work, on account of the frequent details for scouting 
and forage. In fact, it was made clear that my place just then 
was with my regiment, in which conclusion, subsequently on 
rejoining the regiment, I found that I was not alone. On ex- 
plaining to Gen. Carter tht situation as it appeared from my 
meeting with Adjutant Fearns, I obtained his consent to report 
for duty with my regiment, as soon as certain details then in 
progress in connection with the recent transfer of command had 
been completed. 

In the meantime subsistence for both man and beast was 
daily becoming more and more a matter of serious concern. Our 
nearest railroad connection with our base of supplies was 250 
miles away, at Nicholasville, Ky., with mountainous and impos- 
sible roadways intervening. 

Foraging parties, which daily were sent out in every direc- 
tion, reported the surrounding country stripped bare of food stufif, 
except that which might be "cached" or otherwise hidden away. 
It seemed now that our main hope for winter supplies lay in 
reopening communication with Chattanooga by railroad, or by 
the Tennessee River. In order to execute this latter plan, work 
was immediately begun on the construction of a very small steam 
boat on the Holston River, at Knoxville. 

On Saturday, Novemljer Sth, I left Knoxville to join my 
regiment, and that same evening I reported to the Commanding 
Officer, whom I found with the Adjutant and the Surgeon, be- 

17 



.vKic Ji c-mii-) fire in front of tlu' Xdjulunt's tent. I rccv-'ivcl ;i 
cordial, but somewhat grim Nyelcoini.-, and was informed that my 
arrival was most opportune, as "K" Company was witlKxit a 
Comnnssioned C )fficer, and I was therefore assigned to that Com- 
pany, with instructions to report with my command at brigade 
Headquarters early the next morning for fora.^e tktail. On 
Sunday, Xov. loth, with Co. K and four army wagons, we set 
out in a southwesterly direction, having for a guide a negro 
hoy who had agreed to lead the wa\- to an (Ad mill and distillery, 
located, as he stated, in a ravine beside a creek that emptied into 
Clinch River. Our guide claimed to have been a house servant 
in a family by the name of lUirns, who were the owners of the 
mill and distillery, together with a large tract of land in the 
immediate vicinity. According to the statement of this negro, 
a large amount of corn and meal, together with bacon, potatoes 
and peach brandy, was stored and hidden away in and about 
the mill. 

Leaving the Li)udon Road at its crossing with the Kingston 
Road, we f^illowed the latter southward towards the Tenn.-ssee 
River to a point where we were to turn onto a road leading to 
the Clinch River N'allcy. As we approached this point, we dis- 
covered what api)eared to be a cross roads hamlet. The negro 
gui<le. with a Sergeant and four or five men. were riding souk* 
distance ahead of the main body, and they observed that a party 
of men w.is busily engaged in tearing down the church or schcxjl 
building, which was of wood construction, and loading the tim- 
bers on a wagon drawn by oxen. 

just as we came up with our advance party, who had halted 

at the ed^e of a small creek", th • men at work demolishing the 

18 



bull Jin ^■, siukkniy dropped their tools and ran to the opposite 
side of the building-. Hastily telling off the fifth man for wagon 
guard, we made a dash for the building, just as the party of 
men rode out from the other side, on the jump down the Clinch 
\'alley Road towards the Tennessee River. There were seven 
men in the party ahead of us, when we began firing as we rode 
after them. We captured two of the party, one of whom was 
wounded in the shoulder, and stated that he belonged to Alex- 
ander's Battery. The other prisoner was of a Tennessee Cavalry 
Regiment, and seemed most willing to be a prisoner in our hands. 
The other members of the party, being well mounted, had escaped 
after the capture of their two companions, our jaded, worn and 
ill fed horses not being in a condition to keep up the chase. We 
were now about two miles from Huff's Ferry on the Tennessee 
River, to which the Clinch Valley Road led going west. The 
artillery man was by far the more intelligent of the two prisoners, 
but would give us no information, but from the Tennesseean we 
obtained information that was somewhat startling. From him 
we learned that the enemy was in force on the south side of the 
Tennessee River, and was constructing a pontoon bridge across 
the River at or near the Ferry, that the party we had surprised 
was a detail engaged in tearing down the old church, for the 
purpose of obtaining material to aid i nthe construction of the 
pontoon bridge, and that the two yoke of oxen, now in our pos- 
session, were a part of the equipment of Alexander's Confederate 
Artillery and used as a "Gun Team." This "Gun Team" sub- 
sequently furnished a lot of good soup for the boys, to say noth- 
ing of some mi;:;htv tough beef. 

19 



In orckr to verify the information oljtained and under the 
j:;:ui(lance of our nejjro boy, who liad by this time won confidence 
bv his brij^htness and evident faithfulness, I started with two men 
to make a sliort cut tliroui^li a ravine and down the bed (jf a 
small creek that ran into the Tennessee just al>)ve Muffs Ferry. 
The nei^ro ( I'.en I'.urns by name) assured me that he not only 
kuL'w everv foot of the short cut to the river, but also a way 
across countrv that would brinj^^ us out near the junction 
and Cross Roads of the Louden and Kinj^ston Roads, over which 
we had passed that morninij:. So before starting on this detour, 
1 had started on the back track my men with the two prisoners, 
waijons and cattle, with instructions to push for camp as rapidly 
as possible. It did not require much time to reach the river by 
the short cut, rouph as it proved to be, and it took far less time 
to verify the Tennesseean's information. I'Vom the deop ravine 
in which we stood, peering- throuj^h the bushy under^^rowth. a 
^()(h\ view of the south side «jf the siver was obtained. Immedi- 
atelv opposite the {ground rose abruptly from the river, but about 
200 vards further up the river, above the mouth of Sweetwater 
Creek, a sharp bend in the course of the river disclt)sed a tract 
of Mat ;..,^round. on which in i)lain view was a larj^e force of Con- 
federate Artil'.erv and Infantry, evidently in readiness to move. 

.•\ i)ontoon brid.:;e had been thrown across the river by the 
Confederates at this point, but the north end of this bridge, broken 
awav from its fastenings by the swift current of the channel, 
was now switiging down stream, at a right angle \n ith that end 
of the bridge, which being in water of less depth, and out of 

^(1 



the current, was more sjcurely fatsened. Had it not been for 
this mishap to their bridge, which the rebels were now struggHng 
hard to remedy, this force would doubtless have been attacking 
our right flank at this time, for as it afterwards developed they 
constituted two Divisions of Longstreet's Corps^ rushed forward 
from Bragg's Army to drive Burnside from Knoxville. Scramb- 
ling up the ravine in hot haste to a point where our horses had 
been left, we mounted and dashed across country to the Loudon 
and Kingston Crossroads, which point I reached a little in ad- 
vance of my Company, but they soon appeared, with the two 
prisoners, wagons and cattle, all intact. From the Crossroads, 
I dispatched a courier ahead to Campbell's Station, with a report 
of the situation I had discovered, following as fast as possible 
with the rest of my party. Just beyond Lenoirs we were passed 
bv a division of the 0th Corps, and later a division of the 23rd 
Corps, and on the following day these two Divisions were en- 
gaged in a hot fight with Longstreet's Infantry, near Loudon, 
which only ended with Longstreet's final and unsuccessful assault 
on I^irt Saunders at Knoxville. 

On reaching Can^pbell's Station, I found our Brigade about 
readv to move across the Holston, and in the direction of Little 
R'ver en th' Mary villi- Road. That night, Nov. 11, we bivouacked 
on the south side of the Holston near Rockford. And on Tuesday, 
the 12, began a three days' fight between Wheeler's Cavalry and 
our division under Gen. Saunders, commencing at Little River 
and terminating, as far as the writer was concerned, at Rockford, 
where in a sharp engagement with Wheeler's Cavalry, my regi- 

21 



ment was dismounted to support a Battery, hard pressed by 
.Nforj^an's Brigade of Wheele/r's Cavalry under Basil Duke. We 
succeeded in savinc: the Battery, which limbered up and with- 
drew across tlie river, but only by the sacrifice of sixty men and 
three officers, taken prisoners, and a further severe Rei^iniental 
casual ity list in killed and wounded. 

The writer was so unfortunate as to be one of the three 
officers taken i)risoner at this action, which proved to be the ini- 
tial movement of Longstreet's assault on Burnside's position at 
Knoxville. Here also began a long, weary term of wretched 
life covering a period of seventeen months, in which the writer, 
as a prisoner of war, passed through Libbv, Columbia, Macon, 
Charleston and other prisons within the Southern Confederacy, 
the memory of which, after a lapse of nearly fifty years, still 
haunts and clings to me as a fearful nightmare, never to be for- 
gotten, or shaken off. until "Life's fitful dream is o'er." 



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